Leafs' playoff opponent to be determined Friday

The Toronto Maple Leafs continue to wait to learn who they'll face in the first round after the Boston Bruins closed to within one point of the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday.

The Bruins defeated the Buffalo Sabres 5-0, keeping their hopes of winning the Atlantic Division's third seed alive as the Lightning lost 5-2 to the Columbus Blue Jackets. 

The Maple Leafs will host Boston on Friday night and the Bruins could wind up staying in Toronto if they make up the single point on Tampa Bay. The Lightning, meanwhile, will play their 82nd game of the season on the road against the New York Islanders, who defeated the playoff-bound Washington Capitals 5-1 on Thursday.

The Bruins could clinch the third seed through a variety of results Friday, including an overtime or shootout loss against Toronto if Tampa Bay falls in regulation, as they own the regulation/overtime win tiebreaker over the Lightning with 40 to Tampa Bay's 38.

Toronto previously announced that Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and Jack Campbell will sit out Friday's game, while captain John Tavares' status is also up in the air after taking a maintenance day Thursday.

Viewers in the Maple Leafs region can watch Friday’s game against the Bruins LIVE on TSN4 at 7 p.m. ET.

Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said Thursday his team will open their postseason on Monday, regardless of their opponent.

"It's never easy when you're at this point of the season and you know you'll be starting on Monday night and you don't quite know [who you're playing]," Keefe said. "We're looking at a high probability that it's going to be Tampa, but Boston's right there."

A matchup with the Bruins would represent the fourth time in Toronto's past seven postseasons that they have drawn